


Don't say it's over

by Rosetylars



Series: Cricverse [7]
Category: Cricket RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Cheating, IPL 2016, M/M, Post-Break Up, Rebound, THAT insta post, kind of, no more tags because spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:53:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23541901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: Glenn left Aaron before the 2016 IPL, and a fling with David Miller followed. Is there any chance for Glenn to make things right with Aaron, or are they done for good?
Relationships: Aaron Finch/Glenn Maxwell, Glenn Maxwell/David Miller
Series: Cricverse [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755766
Comments: 19
Kudos: 11





	Don't say it's over

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third instalment in the series. The first is [Made sense eventually](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24856348) and the second is [Lost in translation.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25125406)
> 
> ***  
> Indian Premier League, 2016.

Aaron had heard the rumours flying around the IPL circles, but he didn’t want to believe them. Rumours were just that - rumours - until there was definitive evidence to prove that they were facts. And Aaron believed in facts. 

Especially in matters pertaining to Glenn. 

They had broken things off yet again before this IPL - small disagreements turned into big ones, and before Aaron could get his head around things, Glenn had packed his bags and moved back in with his parents. 

Aaron thought he’d come back. He always did. But maybe, in matters pertaining to Glenn, Aaron had become complacent. And maybe that was half the problem. 

His love for Glenn had never wavered, and never would. But in Glenn’s eyes, the romance had died down as their international careers became more stressful. Aaron never meant for it to happen - Glenn had always been, and would always be, his priority. But Glenn didn’t feel the spark any more, and that was his reason for leaving.

Hell, Aaron didn’t feel a spark any more either, but that wasn’t a bad thing. He’d loved Glenn for so many years that the initial spark had turned into a little glow in his chest - every time he saw Glenn, or even thought about him. Because to Aaron, love wasn’t grand gestures and rose petals on the bed. It was cuddling on the couch to watch a movie; it was Maxi’s tears seeping into Aaron’s T-shirt as he held him; it was the little things every day that showed he cared. 

So he ignored the rumours, because despite breaking things off, he knew deep down that he and Glenn belonged together, and things would all be okay in the end. 

They always were. 

Until he was lying in his hotel bed, and he saw the Instagram post with his own eyes. 

Maxi had shared a video of himself kissing David Miller’s cheek to his own Instagram account. 

Aaron told himself to be reasonable. Maxi was a very tactile person, and it wasn’t uncommon for him to kiss his friends’ cheeks. 

The problem?

All of the rumours were that Glenn and David had been sleeping together. 

Aaron’s hands were shaking when he pressed the call button next to Maxi’s contact. Maxi could tell him the truth, and set things straight.

Glenn didn’t answer. 

Aaron‘s mind wandered and he couldn’t stop it. He imagined Glenn lazing around in Miller’s bed, that post-sex look in his eyes that Aaron was so damn familiar with. 

Aaron turned his head into his pillow and broke down. 

***  
A few nights later, Aaron wasn’t coping very well. Everything reminded him of Maxi, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe under the weight of the love and memories he still carried around with him. 

He made the mistake of looking through the camera roll on his phone. He found a very old picture of them, during the 09/10 season - the first season they had played for Victoria together in the One-Day Cup. In the picture, Glenn had his arm around Aaron’s shoulder, a beer in his hand. Aaron had his arm around Glenn’s waist, and they were beaming at the camera, thrilled with a win. 

The picture brought back such strong memories that Aaron welled up. That was the day of their first kiss. Who would have thought, six years later, they would have loved and lost each other so fiercely?

Another photo that stuck out to Aaron was one of Glenn, sulking, because Aaron had finally beaten him at a game of golf. This picture was only a couple of years old, but the memory still warmed Aaron’s heart. 

He forced himself to swipe out of his photos app. Wallowing in his own misery was not going to help him let go. But did he even want to let go?

***  
Aaron’s team, the Gujarat Lions, played Glenn’s Kings XI Punjab two weeks after the Instagram post. 

Shaun Marsh, Glenn’s teammate this tournament, asked Aaron out for coffee the morning before the match. 

“You look like shit, mate,” Shaun said honestly when he saw Aaron for the first time. 

Aaron screwed up his face. “Haven’t been sleeping,” he admitted. 

“Glenn?” Shaun asked gently. 

Aaron nodded ruefully. 

“How much do you know?” Shaun asked warily. 

Aaron took a deep breath. “Saw his post. Heard the rumours. Put two and two together,” he said plainly. 

Shaun grimaced. “I’m sorry, mate. It’s been tough to watch. For what it’s worth, Stoin and I can tell it’s nothing real,” he tried to reassure.

“Does that mean they’re actually together?” Aaron asked, feeling bile burn his throat. 

Shaun stirred his coffee, trying to work out what to say. “I asked Glenn that same question.” He was clearly holding things back to try to prevent hurting Aaron’s feelings. 

“You don’t need to protect me, Shaun. What’s really going on?”

“Maxi told me they’ve been sleeping together. Miller’s been into him for a long time and when he found out Maxi was newly single -“

“On a break,” Aaron corrected. 

“- he got in there as quickly as he could,” Shaun finished. 

Aaron cringed at Shaun’s wording, but Shaun was oblivious. 

“Glenn doesn’t look happy, though. It’s just physical. He’s gonna realise he made a mistake. This was just a rebound, plain and simple. You’re the real deal, Finchy. There’s no one better for him in the world than you,” Shaun declared. 

Aaron blinked furiously until his eyes stopped stinging. “It’s too late. I never thought he’d cheat on me,” Aaron said, his voice flat with disbelief. 

Shaun grimaced again. “You two broke up, Aaron,” he pointed out gently. “It’s not cheating if he’s single. I know it hurts, but maybe that’s how he sees it,” he reasoned. 

Aaron buried his head in his hands. “But this is what we do, sometimes we step away from each other but we always get back together, it’s just how things go with us,” he said, trying to reassure himself more than anyone else. 

Shaun looked at him sadly. “Would you want to talk to him?”

“I‘ve called him few times, but he never answers,” Aaron admitted ruefully. 

Shaun took a deep breath. “This is rough. We all know you two belong together.“

“I don’t know, Shaun. I never could have cheated on him in my life. The way he just moved on... does that mean he never cared in the first place?” Aaron looked at Shaun desperately, and his expression was so heartbroken that Shaun reached out to squeeze his arm. 

“Mate, I wish I had the answers for you. We don’t know what’s going on in his head,” Shaun replied sadly. “He’s gonna wake up to himself soon enough, I promise you. You’re the best thing for him, Aaron. I’m sorry you’re going through this.”

***  
When the match came around, Aaron’s heart contracted every time he saw Glenn in the field. He’d been thinking about Glenn so much that actually seeing him in the flesh felt like a sensory overload. Aaron heard his voice in the field - his voice could carry a mile, anyway - and his heart warmed instinctively for the split second before his brain caught up and reminded him that they weren’t together any more. 

When it came to handshakes post match, Glenn barely looked at Aaron at all. 

That hurt Aaron more than the Instagram post had.

Shaun saw it unfold, and pulled Aaron in for a hug. Aaron managed to hold his emotions back until he was alone in the safety of his hotel room. 

Had Glenn really let go of their six years of history like it had been nothing?

***  
The two teams faced off again two weeks later. Aaron had managed to push his emotions to the side since the last match, focusing on his cricket and trying to enjoy the IPL season as much as he could. 

Until Stoin called him two days before the match. 

“Hey, Marcus,” Aaron greeted. 

“Finchy, I need to tell you something. It’s been eating at me and it might hurt you but you have to know,” Marcus worried. 

Aaron frowned. “If it’s about Maxi and Miller, thanks, but I worked that out about six weeks ago. It hurts, but I’m trying to look past it,” Aaron sighed. 

Marcus hesitated, and Aaron’s stomach filled with dread. “There’s something else,” he warned. 

“What is it?” Aaron asked slowly, not sure he wanted to know the answer. 

“Glenn got really drunk last night. Not just tipsy. He ended things with Miller a few days ago - not that they were anything more than friends with benefits - but last night, he...” Marcus trailed off, clearly afraid to hurt Aaron. 

Aaron’s head was spinning at the revelation that whatever Maxi had with Miller was over, but Stoin was clearly still holding something back. “What is it, Marcus?”

Stoin let out a pained groan. “Glenn came to me last night. Looking for sex,” he revealed. 

Aaron’s heart stopped. He felt like he’d been shot. He couldn’t speak. 

“I let him sleep in my bed and I slept on the couch. He was in a bad way. Obviously I turned him down and nothing happened between us, he was just an emotional wreck and needed a good sleep,” Stoin explained. 

Aaron didn’t know what to say. “I can’t believe this, Marcus,” he mumbled. 

“I know it’s tough for you, Grinch. But I think it’d do Maxi a world of good if you two even had a chat. Would you consider it?” Stoin asked. 

“Of course I would. I tried calling him weeks ago but he didn’t answer, so I got the hint,” Aaron replied. 

Stoin hummed thoughtfully. “He’s an idiot,” he declared. 

Aaron chuckled humourlessly. “I’ll see if he wants to get a coffee tomorrow,” he suggested. 

“Good luck, mate. He needs you right now. He’s got no idea what he wants,” Stoin said. 

***  
Aaron had been surprised at the speed with which Maxi replied to his invite for coffee. 

Going into it, he was nervous. Glenn had broken his heart, and he didn’t know how to feel now that they were going to see each other again. 

Glenn was already at the coffee shop when Aaron arrived, despite Aaron showing up five minutes earlier than they had planned. 

“Aaron,” Glenn’s face lit up. He leapt out of his seat so quickly that it clattered backwards, and the noise made the Indian locals turn to look at them with amusement. 

Aaron accepted Glenn’s hug, and they sat down across from each other. Aaron was deliberately guarding his expressions, not prepared to let Maxi hurt him again. 

Once they bought their coffees, they sat down to talk things over. 

“I’ve missed you,” Glenn said gently, extending his arm across the table, searching for Aaron’s hand. 

Aaron kept his hands in his lap. “Come on, Maxi, no you haven’t. By all reports, you haven’t been lonely.” The words came out before Aaron could hold them back, and he regretted them instantly. 

A hurt look crossed Glenn’s face, and he withdrew his hand with a humourless laugh. “I knew Shaun would tell you,” he shook his head. 

“About Miller? Glenn, everyone in the damn IPL knows about that. I tried to ignore the rumours. But that Instagram post...” Aaron closed his eyes, hurt. “It was hard to see.”

Glenn sighed. He’d been caught out. “Look, it wasn’t what it looked like.”

Aaron furrowed his eyebrows. “It looked like you two were fucking,” he pointed out. 

Glenn exhaled. “Okay, maybe it was what it looked like.”

Aaron scoffed, scrubbing a hand over his face. How could Maxi so brazenly admit this?

When Aaron didn’t reply, Glenn pressed on. “It didn’t mean anything. I ended it last week,” he explained. 

“Yeah. I know,” Aaron huffed. “Then you moved on yet again.”

Glenn looked confused. “I… what do you mean?”

Aaron shrugged his shoulders, as if the answer were obvious. “Stoin told me you went to him last night. Asked for sex,” he added quietly.

Maxi squeezed his eyes shut. “None of this is what it looks like,” he mumbled.

Aaron scoffed. “Really? Because to me, it looks like you broke my heart and then moved on within a couple of weeks. Not to mention that we didn’t even officially break up. You called it a break. So that means you ch-“

“Please,” Glenn interrupted, raising a hand to make Aaron stop. “It hurts enough without you rubbing it in.”

“I just don’t understand,” Aaron said, his voice pained. 

Glenn sighed. “The fling with Dave... look, Aaron, I want to be honest with you. I wanted to try and forget about you. Every time we break up, we get back together, but then I fuck it up again... I wanted to prove to myself that I didn’t need you, to try and break the cycle,” he finished quietly. 

“I was waiting for you to come back, Glenn,” Aaron whispered. “You’re it, for me. I could have never slept with someone else.”

Maxi put his head in his hands. “Maybe that’s where we’re different,” he laughed humourlessly. He met Aaron’s eyes again. “I needed the distraction so I wasn’t laying alone every night realising I fucked things up yet again.”

“So it was okay for me to be alone but not you?” Aaron asked, feeling totally betrayed. 

Glenn exhaled slowly. “I don’t expect you to be okay with it.”

“Good, because I’m not,” Aaron shook his head with disbelief. 

“You aren’t getting what I’m trying to say,” Maxi sighed, frustrated. 

“Then help me understand,” Aaron implored. “Please.”

“I’ve regretted it since the minute I left you. There’s nobody in the world like you, Aaron,” Glenn said sadly. “And I messed up. Again.”

Aaron had to consider Maxi’s words over and over in his head to make sure that he was getting them right. “You... regret breaking up with me?” Aaron asked with disbelief. 

“Of course I do,” Maxi mumbled. “I made a big mistake.”

Aaron couldn’t let it go that easily. “I find it hard to believe that you were feeling regretful yet still messed around with Miller. Those two things don’t add up to me.”

Maxi exhaled heavily. “I wanted to feel something, Aaron. I haven’t felt anything since you left,” he said quietly. 

Aaron furrowed his eyebrows. “Since I left? Glenn, you left me! You left our home and didn’t come back. I was waiting for you,” he added, voice breaking. “That night, I made you a coffee and left it on your bedside table because I was so sure you were coming home. Can you imagine how much it hurt to wake up in the morning to a cold bed and a full mug of coffee?”

Glenn looked utterly broken, at that. He closed his eyes, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I wanted to come home. But I realised I couldn’t keep leaving you and coming grovelling. So I stayed away,” he uttered.

Aaron sighed. “Maxi…” he began, a little too loudly.

Glenn hushed him, more out of concern of eavesdroppers than anything else. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset over something so insignificant in the first place,” Glenn grimaced. 

Aaron shrugged. “I mean, I get where you were coming from. I didn’t shower you with lavish romance very often. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t love you with everything I had,” Aaron mumbled, picking at the cardboard of his coffee cup. 

Glenn considered his words, but he must’ve been lost in thought for too long, because Aaron spoke again. 

“You know what, I get it. You got bored of me, and Miller had a lot to offer that I don’t. I’m sure it was all sparks and fireworks. He’s built like a supermodel, he’s tall as hell... fuck, I really can’t compete,” Aaron mumbled, dropping his head into his hands with a defeated sigh. 

Aaron’s position meant he missed the heartbroken look that settled on Maxi’s face. “Aaron, no, don’t put yourself down like that,” he said gently. 

Aaron gave a defeated shrug, sitting up and meeting Maxi’s eyes. “Why? I’m being realistic. He had to have something that I didn’t. I get it.”

Maxi frowned, reaching for Aaron’s hand once more. He didn’t take it. “No, you don’t get it at all. I made a mistake when I left you. I thought a fling might ease the pain but it fucking didn’t, not even close. You know the worst part? Whenever I woke up with him, for a split second, I thought it was you. And it broke my heart every fucking time I realised, knowing I’d screwed up the best thing in my life,” Maxi huffed a humourless laugh, shaking his head with disgust at himself. 

Aaron just looked even more hurt. “Hearing about your sexual escapades with another man isn’t really helping my broken heart at all,” he mumbled. 

Glenn sighed, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry. I just want you to know that you mean more to me than anyone else could. I fucked up, and if I could take it all back, I would.” His sad blue eyes were pleading Aaron to consider things from his perspective, but Aaron just felt numb. 

Aaron shook his head, miserable. “Glenn, this is real life. We can’t take anything back,” Aaron mumbled, getting up from his seat. “Goodbye, Maxi.”

Maxi called after him, but Aaron was already gone. 

***  
Glenn had called Aaron several times since their coffee, but Aaron couldn’t answer. He was utterly destroyed after their confrontation. Maxi had laid everything bare - he had practically admitted he wanted to get back together - but Aaron was still so heartbroken that Maxi had had a fling with Miller. He couldn’t see past it. 

But the more he thought about what Glenn had said, the more it made sense. Maxi had tried to move on, yet couldn’t. Didn’t that say more about the power of their love than anything?

Aaron was grateful to get home once the IPL season was over, but as soon as he stepped inside, he realised how empty the house felt without Glenn. It was far too clean, and far too quiet. Aaron’s heart ached. 

He had only been home for two hours when there was a knock at the door. He looked at the time - it was 7pm. He wasn’t expecting any visitors or deliveries, so he frowned as he headed to the door.

It was Glenn. And he looked amazing. He was wearing a pale blue button-down shirt and white skinny jeans that were so tight they could have cut off his circulation. Aaron considered his own appearance, fresh off a long-haul flight, and felt like an idiot.

Aaron must’ve been standing and staring for too long, because Glenn spoke.

“Finchy,” he greeted gently. “Do you mind if I come in? I brought dinner. I didn’t think you would’ve had a chance to eat yet,” Glenn reasoned.

Aaron was speechless. He hadn’t had a chance to eat after his flight, that was true. Glenn had already been home for a week because his team hadn’t qualified for finals, whereas the Lions had lost in their first qualifier.

“I, uh… yeah, of course,” Aaron stuttered, still in shock. He opened the door wider, and Glenn entered.

Aaron hadn’t realised while he had been admiring Glenn’s appearance, but Glenn had been holding a pizza box with a lump of silver tin-foil on top. Once they were inside, he held them out to Aaron with a smile, and Aaron didn’t know what to say.

“Please say something, you’re making me nervous,” Glenn mumbled, revealing the first signs of nervousness that Aaron had seen since he arrived.

“Sorry,” Aaron replied quickly. “I’m just… surprised. Overwhelmed,” he admitted. He opened the lid of the pizza box - it was a meatlovers. His and Glenn’s go to, every time they had ordered pizza over the years. “This is really thoughtful. Thank you, Glenn,” he said genuinely, meeting Glenn’s eyes.

Glenn smiled softly. “My pleasure. Sit down, you look exhausted. I’ll get out some plates. Coke or beer?”

“Beer, please,” Aaron replied, still half certain that this was all a dream, and he was going to wake up and be alone again.

He realised the tin foil was hiding a loaf of garlic bread, and his stomach grumbled at the smell.

Glenn returned only thirty seconds later, he was so familiar with the layout of the kitchen. It had been his house for years, after all. He put an open bottle of beer and a plate down in front of Aaron, who smiled gratefully. 

“Thanks, Maxi. This is really thoughtful,” he said gently, meeting Maxi’s eyes. 

Maxi ducked his head at the praise. “Least I could do,” he mumbled. 

They ate in comfortable silence, and the beer helped calm Aaron’s nerves somewhat. He decided he needed to apologise for walking out on Glenn back in India all those weeks ago. 

“Glenn,” Aaron began gently, and Maxi looked up, meeting his eyes warily. “I want to apologise for how I acted in India. It wasn’t okay, and I’m embarrassed by my behaviour. I should never have stormed out on you like that,” he apologised. 

Maxi clearly hadn’t expected that, and his eyes widened with surprise, before he frowned slightly. “Aaron, I absolutely deserved a spray that day. You have nothing to apologise for. But I appreciate your apology,” he shrugged. 

Aaron didn’t know what to say, but he was saved from a response as Glenn got up and began to clear their plates. This was a man who usually created mess with every step he took. 

Aaron stood up to help, taking their empty beer bottles to rinse and recycle. 

“I’ll do it, you relax,” Glenn said gently, plucking the bottles from Aaron’s hands, putting them on the bench before taking Aaron by the shoulders and gently pushing him in the direction of the couch. 

Aaron felt totally out of place being waited on in his own home, but he was exhausted to his bones after the long flight. When Glenn returned to join Aaron on the couch, he pressed another cold beer into his hand with a shy smile. 

“Thank you, Maxi,” Aaron said gently, and the look in his eyes conveyed more than his words did. 

“You’re welcome. I’m the one who should be apologising. Can we talk about it?” Glenn asked. 

Aaron nodded. He had expected it to come up. 

Glenn sighed, turning in his seat and lifting a leg onto the couch to face Aaron better. “I fucked up when I left you. It’s the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I just want you to know that I’ll regret leaving, and what happened afterwards, forever. I’m really sorry.” His voice broke on the last word, and he looked away, unable to meet Aaron’s eyes. 

Aaron’s heart contracted at Glenn’s confession. He couldn’t help himself, reaching out and squeezing Glenn’s knee gently. He hated seeing Glenn so upset - his first instinct would always be to soothe Glenn’s pain, regardless of the circumstances. 

Maxi gasped at the contact. It had been the first touch between them since India. 

“Maxi, I get it. It really fucking hurt to see you with someone else, but I get why you did it. I just hate that you’re hurting now,” Aaron said gently. 

Glenn looked surprised when he met Aaron’s eyes. “How are you so calm about this?”

Aaron shrugged with a grimace. “Because I regret how I reacted the first time. I was a dick to you in India,” he mumbled. 

Glenn frowned. “Not like I didn’t deserve it.”

Aaron finally cracked a little smile at that, chuckling. “Maybe we both did things we regret,” he said thoughtfully. 

Maxi hummed with agreement. “Definitely,” he agreed. 

After a few moments of loaded silence, Maxi spoke again. “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life looking for a love that isn’t out there,” he said quietly. 

Aaron took a few moments to consider what he was saying. “I’m confused,” he admitted. 

Glenn sighed. “I could search for another love for the rest of my life. But I know I won’t find them.” He met Aaron’s eyes, imploring him to catch his meaning. 

Aaron was still lost. “Why not?”

Maxi finally laughed. “You thick man,” he chuckled fondly. The sound brought a warmth to Aaron’s chest that he hadn’t felt since Maxi had left him. Glenn continued. “Because it’s you, Aaron. You’re it. You’re the love of my life, and I’m a fucking idiot for messing it up,” he shook his head, frustrated. 

Aaron’s heart stopped. He had not expected Glenn’s confession at all. His mouth was dry, his heart racing a million beats a minute. “You mean that?” 

Glenn huffed a laugh, exasperated. “Of course I do!”

“Fuck,” Aaron exhaled. “That’s a lot to take in, Maxi.” He didn’t even know how he felt. He knew Maxi was the love of his life, too, but he felt a little burnt out emotionally. 

Glenn’s face fell. “If it’s too late to make things right between us, I understand,” he said softly, turning his face away.

Aaron realised immediately that Maxi had taken it the wrong way. “No, no! I just mean... fuck, I don’t know,” Aaron groaned, rubbing his face. There was so much he wanted to say, but nothing would come out. He was emotionally fried. 

“Aaron...” Glenn said warily. “If you want me to leave...”

“No, fuck no, I don’t,” Aaron reassured quickly. “I just can’t find the right words right now,” he worried, meeting Maxi’s eyes with a regretful look. 

Glenn looked totally confused, and Aaron mentally shook himself. 

“I’ve had the best night, Maxi, honestly,” Aaron said gently. “Thank you for all of this. I’m just so exhausted. Can we pick this up tomorrow morning? Stay here, don’t drive home after the beers. I’ll cook you breakfast,” he offered gently. 

Maxi looked somewhat relieved. Maybe Aaron hadn’t totally pushed him away with his indecision. “I’d like that,” Maxi smiled softly. “I’m happy to sleep on the couch,” he offered. 

It had been a two bedroom house when they bought it, but they had converted the second bedroom into a storage room for all of their mountains of cricket gear. 

Aaron was torn. He wanted to invite Maxi back to the bed so badly. It was their bed, after all. But was he really ready to start all over again? 

He was lost in thought for too long, and Glenn put a hand on his shoulder. “You look exhausted. Go to bed. I’ll be here in the morning,” he said gently. 

Aaron wanted so badly to lean in and kiss him goodnight, but he thought better of it. 

Aaron found Glenn the softest blanket and pillow in the house, and lent him a hoodie and some shorts to change into. 

“Aaron, I’m sure there are some of my clothes still lying around,” Maxi chuckled. “These are from your ‘Gades kit!”

Aaron laughed, at that. Maxi was a sight to behold in his oversized Melbourne Renegades tracksuit. “Exactly,” he teased. 

Maxi poked out his tongue, but his grin made Aaron relax. 

“Night, Maxi,” he said gently. 

“Goodnight, Grinch. Hope you sleep well,” Maxi replied with a soft smile. 

***  
That night, Aaron had one of the worst nightmares he’d ever experienced. It was extremely vivid. He dreamt that Glenn was involved in a car accident, and his injuries were life threatening. In the dream, Aaron went to see Glenn in the hospital, to tell him that he forgave him, tell him that he loved him, but it was too late - Glenn was gone. 

Aaron woke up with tears in his eyes, breathing heavily, cold sweat pasting his T-shirt to his back. Where was he? He looked around, remembering after a moment that he had flown home from India yesterday. His heart was still racing as the memory of his nightmare flashed past his eyes once more. He wanted to be sick. 

As he remembered the night before, he realised with a jolt that Maxi was asleep on the couch. Was he still there? It was 4am, but Aaron had been so spooked by his nightmare that he had to see Glenn for himself. 

He padded down the hallway, and a gasp of relief to see Glenn, safe and sound, escaped him. 

Maxi startled awake at the noise. “What...?” He looked around, then remembered where he was. “Oh, Aaron,” he realised. He took in the sight of Aaron, lingering in the darkness of the living room, and must have realised something was going on. “Wait, are you crying? Are you okay?”

Aaron just shook his head. “Had a very realistic nightmare. Had to see if you were okay,” he explained softly. 

Maxi exhaled. “I’m okay, I promise. Whatever you saw was just a dream. Do you need a hug?”

Aaron nodded minutely, and Glenn got up from the couch, crossing the living room to reach Aaron. 

It was their first proper hug since they had broken up, and to Aaron, it felt like coming home. He buried his face in Maxi’s shoulder, and when Glenn hugged him back firmly, his resolve finally cracked. Every bit of anger he’d felt towards Maxi since the breakup dissolved in an instant, and Aaron couldn’t hold back his tears. Maxi held him for what felt like hours, until Aaron had run out of tears. He collapsed against Maxi, drained. 

“Feel a bit better?” Maxi asked gently. 

Aaron nodded slightly. “Come to bed with me,” he whispered, voice quavering. 

Glenn inhaled softly. “Do you mean that?”

“God, yes. It’s 4am. Come to bed. It’s freezing out here,” Aaron acknowledged. He held his hand out, and Glenn took it. 

When they were in bed, Maxi diligently stayed as far away on his side of the bed as possible, but Aaron was having none of it. Half asleep, he grabbed Glenn by the arm, pulling him closer. 

“C’mere. Don’t you dare leave me ever again,” he warned sleepily, then promptly fell asleep with Maxi wrapped securely in his arms. 

Still awake, Glenn wasn’t sure whether Aaron was referring to the nightmare or to real life, but in that moment, he vowed to himself never to leave Aaron again, no matter the circumstances.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> The next instalment in this series is [Nobody better to lose to,](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25480069) [Our stars will fall..,](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22506697) and [Champagne and lost sleep.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26693755)
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear any feedback!


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